Thinking about a much needed tropical vacay? Where you can enjoy adventure, relax, and enjoy good food all at once? Not sure where to go? I got you! A few phrases that come to mind when thinking about Aruba: perfect weather, warm waters, full of adventure. And I couldn’t agree more! I recently traveled to Aruba, and let me tell you – I seriously enjoyed it! If you haven’t been there already, I highly recommend you add it to the top of your list for a fun, tropical, hot vacation spot! While I was there, I figured I would come up with a “travel guide” to share some of the activities I enjoyed. I also wanted to give you guys a roundup of recommendations outlining healthy places to eat plus any other travel tips I thought would be beneficial for you to know before you go!
Without further ado…here’s my Meowmeix Travel Guide: Aruba
Places to Eat:
Madame Janette’s – Price $$$
Highly rated on TripAdvisor and recommended by a few of my friends, they have a selection of great food that doesn’t disappoint. Their seafood items are delicious. I didn’t personally order the seafood medley but had a few bites off my fiancé’s fathers plate and thought that dish was done perfectly!
Screaming Eagle – Price $$$
From steak to seafood, this restaurant had great dishes and the service was awesome. Don’t let the fancy tables fool you, you can still also attend in casual wear (although it’s always fun to dress up a little). The skirt steak dish there was one of my favorites of the trip!
Elements – Price $$$
This place was my absolute favorite! The beach view, the service and the epic entree soup and salad bar they had there. They also have a ton of amazing dishes like red snapper, steak, and spicy shrimp.
If you want to grab some fresh acai bowls or juices on the beach, this is the spot for you! Fast, fresh and delicious, Eduardo’s Beach Shack has plenty of yummy options for you to enjoy on the warm beautiful beach of Aruba.
Super Foods Market (if you want to go grocery shopping)
If you’re staying in a condo with a kitchen or want to grab something extra for your room, this supermarket has the most options of any market on the island. We made our own twist on healthy taco night on our condo.
Activities to do in Aruba
Off Road UTV Tour by ABC Tours
Out of all the activities, this one was my favorite! I’ve never gone off roading before and definitely got an adrenaline rush while still feeling safe in the two passenger UTV. We did the natural pool tour which was a welcome stop on the dusty road and I even spotted a sea urchin on the wall while snorkeling. Bonus: the secluded cliff jump was another thrilling stop on the off road tour.
Kayak & Scuba Tour (with National Brewery Stop)
The Kayak & Scuba tour is another fun, active Aruba adventure although you do have to be ready to go by 8:45 am (worth it!). The kayaking was an enjoyable pace and you even get to see a sunken ship on your scuba stop. Of course you also get to try the local beer which I thought was great!
Tubing on the Beach
If you like a fun, exhilarating bumpy ride, this is for you! We found a stand in front of the Costa Linda Beach Resort that set it up for us day of, but if you’re down closer to the RIU hotel there is also a stand out front by the restaurant on the pier which will save you some money since they are the organizers with the boats. Make sure you go to the stand closer to the Bugaloe restaurant out on the beach since the other one a block down directly in front of the RIU charges a little bit more for the same service.
Water Skiing / Wake Boarding
The same stands we booked the tubing at, you can also book wake boarding and water skiing. It is a little challenging to get up on the waiver ocean but totally worth the extra effort!
If you’re staying at one of the popular spots on Eagle Beach, Baby Beach is another popular beach on the other side of the island about a 45 minute drive. We ate at the Big Mama Grill which had some unique seafood dishes and also enjoyed so beautiful snorkeling in a cove.
Other general tips on Aruba:
- Make sure to take out plenty of cash before the trip for tips
- Bring tons of sunscreen – the sun is hot and strong!
- Stay hydrated
- Bring Imodium in case you have any contaminated water (very rare this can happen but better safe than sorry!)
How I stayed active on vacation:
While it’s totally personal preference to either workout on vacation or not, I love to at least get some movement in in the morning. Running on the beach or swimming in the ocean or a body weight workout outside were some of my favorite options but in addition to that some days, I also found a solid gym that had a $20 day pass or it was $60 for the week.
If you’re looking for a full, clean gym, this is a great option. They had the typical squat rack, bench press, tons of weights and machines. The people there are friendly and they even have a steam room if you want to use that even in hot Aruba climate.
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